X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Stats & Leaders
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
24x7 News and Alerts

2017 PPR Rankings Analysis - Tight Ends

As NFL training camps kick into full gear, we take a position-by-position look at the RotoBaller PPR fantasy football rankings to help prepare you for draft day. In case you missed it, here are our running back and wide receiver analysis columns.

And that leaves us with the often forgotten, often undervalued tight end position (since QB rankings don't differ from standard to PPR leagues). Rob Gronkowski has helped to usher in a new era for the position, one that has helped produced pass-catching monsters that would make Tony Gonzalez proud. A fantasy position that once seemed top heavy and irrelevant, tight end now has legitimate depth and game changers.

Here are the top twelve PPR tight end rankings as we near the start of the 2017 season.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2024:

 

2017 PPR Rankings: Tight Ends

1. Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs

Are we finally seeing the passing of the torch? Kelce is on the record for disliking the "Baby Gronk" nickname, but maybe the former third-round draft pick should start to embrace it as he looks to officially dethrone the man who has been the position's #1 fantasy asset for years now. The time is now for Kelce, who has progressed in each of his three years as a pro. His TD numbers have been relatively low for a tight end of his caliber, but 120+ targets is achievable with the Chiefs' release of Jeremy Maclin. One positive that Kelce possesses that Gronk currently doesn't is health, as he has not missed a game in his young NFL career. Whether you have him as the first or second rated TE, his current ADP as a full round after Gronk is too much.

2. Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots

It's no secret that the position's premier player has had injury problems. Two of his last four seasons have been cut short due to serious injuries, and he hasn't played a full season since 2011. Nonetheless, Gronk is the best in the business when healthy. He's averaged 74.7 yards on 7.6 receptions per game in the last three seasons, and has scored in more than half of them. There's no reason to believe that he won't continue to be Tom Brady's go-to option, specifically in the red zone, just know that you are more likely to get 12-14 games out of Gronk than a full 16.

3. Jordan Reed, Washington Redskins

Another tight end that has been unable to avoid the injury bug, the uber-athletic Reed has started just 23 total games in his first four seasons in the league. He is an elite pass-catcher with a 75.8% catch percentage, but, outside of maybe 2015, has yet to reward fantasy owners over a full season. The Redskins swapped in Terrelle Pryor for DeSean Jackson, which should take away some red zone targets, but Reed's fantasy potential is solely based on his health at this point. He should be considered a TE1 with legit upside for a 1,000+ yard and double digit touchdown season, but be wary.

4. Greg Olsen, Carolina Panthers

On the other side of the spectrum is Olsen, who has been the poster boy of consistency for the tight end position. He's missed just two games in his ten-year career, and has topped the 75 reception and 1,000 yard mark in each of his last three seasons (and 100+ targets in each of the last five). The Panthers look poised to maintain their power football mentality, but Olsen remains the team's top option in the passing game. His ceiling is capped due to the Carolina offense, but he is a top five TE that will produce week in and week out.

5. Jimmy Graham, Seattle Seahawks

If Rob Gronkowski ushered in the new era of tight ends, Jimmy Graham cleared the path. The former college basketball player has already had a heck of a career, and he got back to his Pro Bowl ways in 2016 thanks to 14.6 yards per reception and 6 TDs. He is unlikely to ever replicate what he did in New Orleans while in Seattle, but the evolution of Russell Wilson and the now high-powered Seahawks offense certainly can't hurt. His is a TE1, but his sixth round ADP is probably a little early given the lack of targets when compared to the top guys.

6. Zach Ertz, Philadelphia Eagles

After turning in a second straight 75 reception and 100 target season, there's little doubt that Ertz is a big part of the Philadelphia offense. The additions of Alshon Jeffrey and Torrey Smith are likely to steal some looks, which caps Ertz's ceiling, but the snap count will be there. Likely to act as a safety valve for second-year Carson Wentz, hopefully the red zone targets see an increase. Ertz is a mid-to-low TE1 who should see at least 4-5 targets per game.

7. Delanie Walker, Tennessee Titans

This is an interesting one. Walker is one of the few players at the position to show real consistency over the last few years as he has become one of Marcus Mariota's favorite targets. He has surpassed 100 targets and 800 yards in each of the last three seasons, and finished as 2016's #5 PPR tight end. Coming off a second consecutive Pro Bowl appearance, the veteran out of Central Missouri has the capability to finish top-five again in 2017, but the Titans have added a stable of new options to their emerging passing game. Treat Walker as a TE1 who should see a small downtick in targets from last year.

8. Hunter Henry, Los Angeles Chargers

The guard is undoubtedly changing in LA as Antonio Gates nears the end of his (future) Hall of Fame career. Henry, who entered 2016 as a highly-drafted rookie, showed legit potential in the Chargers offense, scoring in more than half of his games played. He is expected to be the featured tight end in 2017, but let's not pretend that Gates is suddenly going to disappear either. Henry should be highly drafted in any dynasty or keeper league, but he's simply a low-end TE1 in standard PPR leagues due to Gates' presence. His targets should go up in 2017, but don't expect another 8 TDs.

9. Tyler Eifert, Cincinnati Bengals

And just like that, we're back to another injury-prone tight end with potential to break out if he could just stay healthy. Appearing in just 22 games since the start of the 2014 season, Eifert tallied 18 touchdowns in that time with over 8 targets per game. The Bengals could use another reliable target next to A.J. Green, particularly in the red zone, and Eifert certainly could fit the bill. His ADP as TE6 is fair based on upside, but make sure you draft a backup too.

10. Martellus Bennett, Green Bay Packers

Speaking of potential, how about nine-year vet with a knack for finding the end zone joining the best offense in football? It's been a while since Aaron Rodgers has had a big, reliable option over the middle, but Bennett certainly fills that void. He's no stranger to being part of an offense with lots of options in the passing game either, as he lands in Green Bay after a year alongside Gronk in New England. He won't be the top red zone option for the Packers elite offense (that'd be Jordy Nelson), but he's sure to see close to 100 targets with Rodgers under center. He's a mid TE1.

11. C.J. Fiedorowicz, Houston Texans

One of the few truly positive signs to come out of Houston last year, the former third-round pick out of Iowa emerged as the Texans first-choice tight end with 559 yards and 4 scores. The good news for Fiedorowicz is that the Houston offense is virtually unchanged and he should remain one of the go-to options in the passing game, but the bad news for him is also that the Houston offense is virtually unchanged. The QB carousel from 2016 should continue into 2017, and though it's likely to land on first-round pick Deshaun Watson at some point, it's likely be a bumpy road to get there. Fiedorowicz is better than his TE15 ADP, but he'll be hard to trust as a TE1.

12. Kyle Rudolph, Minnesota Vikings

Fantasy's #2 tight end in 2016 (both PPR and standard) will look to build on the best year of his career as one of Sam Bradford's top options in Minnesota. While it's no surprise that Bradford has grown a liking for a tight end, Rudolph's 132 targets, 83 catches, and 840 yards are all career bests. The Vikings did virtually nothing to bolster their passing attack for 2017, so it's not crazy to think about Rudolph replicating similar success this year. Consider him a mid-level TE1 with a high floor.

You can find the remainder of the full RotoBaller PPR fantasy football rankings, which will be updated continuously throughout the preseason.

 

More 2017 Fantasy Football Rankings


Check out all of RotoBaller's fantasy football rankings. Staff rankings are updated regularly for all positions and include standard formats, PPR scoring, tiered rankings and dynasty leagues.




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Stats & Leaders
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Dylan Carlson16 mins ago

Rays Non-Tender Dylan Carlson
Brendan Rodgers28 mins ago

Rockies Non-Tender Brendan Rodgers, Cal Quantrill
Mike Yastrzemski35 mins ago

Avoids Arbitration With Giants
Jordan Romano41 mins ago

Blue Jays Non-Tender Closer Jordan Romano
Dustin May47 mins ago

Dodgers Sign Dustin May To One-Year Deal To Avoid Arbitration
Walker Kessler51 mins ago

Might Return To Action Saturday
Kyle Filipowski1 hour ago

To Miss Saturday's Game
Jordan Clarkson1 hour ago

Considered Questionable For Saturday
Miles McBride1 hour ago

Questionable To Face Jazz
Joel Embiid1 hour ago

To Remain Out On Sunday
Nikola Jokic2 hours ago

Returns To Action Friday
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope2 hours ago

No Longer On Injury Report
Wendell Carter Jr.2 hours ago

Considered Questionable For Saturday
Brady Singer2 hours ago

Shipped To Cincinnati
Jonathan India2 hours ago

Traded To Kansas City
Tre Mann2 hours ago

Listed As Out For Saturday
Torrey Craig2 hours ago

Available Versus Hawks
Nick Richards2 hours ago

Ruled Out For Saturday
Jarace Walker2 hours ago

Ready To Face Bucks
Ben Sheppard2 hours ago

Misses A Third Consecutive Game
Anfernee Simons3 hours ago

Returns To Action Friday
Ja Morant3 hours ago

Considered Doubtful For Saturday
Jerami Grant3 hours ago

Ready For Action Friday
Marcus Smart3 hours ago

Questionable For Saturday
Deandre Ayton3 hours ago

Remains Out On Friday
Yves Missi3 hours ago

Will Not Play On Friday
Stephen Curry3 hours ago

Available Versus Pelicans
Scoot Henderson3 hours ago

Absent On Friday
Rashod Bateman4 hours ago

Added To Week 12 Injury Report
Vince Dunn4 hours ago

Could Be An Option For Kraken Next Week
TOR4 hours ago

Alexander Nylander Joins Maple Leafs On One-Year Deal
George Kittle4 hours ago

Cleared For Week 12
Jason Dickinson4 hours ago

Expected To Play On Saturday
Cam York4 hours ago

Expected To Return Saturday
San Francisco 49ers5 hours ago

Nick Bosa Won't Play Against Packers
Mason McTavish5 hours ago

Remains Out On Friday
Brock Purdy5 hours ago

Ruled Out For Week 12
Tage Thompson5 hours ago

Continues To Sit On Friday
Kevin Hayes5 hours ago

A Game-Time Call Friday
Kris Letang5 hours ago

Might Return On Friday
Ladd McConkey5 hours ago

Returns To Practice On Friday
CeeDee Lamb5 hours ago

Cleared To Play In Week 12
Sam LaPorta6 hours ago

Off The Injury Report, Cleared For Week 12
Jake Ferguson6 hours ago

Ruled Out With Concussion
DeVonta Smith6 hours ago

Ruled Out For Week 12
Brock Purdy6 hours ago

Not Seen At Friday's Practice
T.J. Hockenson6 hours ago

Expects To Be More Involved In Week 12
Alexander Mattison7 hours ago

Zamir White Doubtful To Face Broncos
Nico Collins7 hours ago

Set For Increased Workload Against Titans
Mike Evans7 hours ago

Officially Listed As Questionable
Malik Nabers7 hours ago

Questionable For Week 12, Intends To Play
Sam Darnold7 hours ago

Cleared For Sunday
D'Andre Swift7 hours ago

Gets Questionable Tag For Week 12
Keenan Allen8 hours ago

Lands On Injury Report, Questionable For Week 12
Isiah Pacheco8 hours ago

Ruled Out For Week 12
CeeDee Lamb8 hours ago

Practices Friday, Expected To Play Sunday
Tyjae Spears8 hours ago

Ruled Out For Week 12
Shohei Ohtani9 hours ago

In Early Stages Of Recovery From Shoulder Surgery
Tabatha Ricci10 hours ago

Looks To Extend Her Win Streak
Yan Xiaonan10 hours ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Muslim Salikhov10 hours ago

A Favorite At UFC Macau
Chris Sale10 hours ago

To Have Normal Offseason
Garrett Crochet10 hours ago

Drawing Plenty Of Interest
Song Kenan10 hours ago

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Zhang Mingyang10 hours ago

Set For His Second UFC Fight
Ozzy Diaz10 hours ago

An Underdog At UFC Macau
MacKenzie Weegar13 hours ago

Notches Three Assists Against Rangers
Macklin Celebrini13 hours ago

Tallies Two Assists In Thursday's Loss
Nikita Kucherov13 hours ago

Comes Up With Three Assists Versus Blue Jackets
Sean Monahan14 hours ago

Finishes Thursday's Win With Four Points
Zach Werenski14 hours ago

Enjoys Career Night With Five Points Against Lightning
Jack Hughes14 hours ago

Posts Three Assists Versus Hurricanes
Joonas Korpisalo14 hours ago

Records 21-Save Shutout Versus Utah
Carlos Ulberg1 day ago

Looking To Cement Himself As A Title Contender At UFC Macau
Volkan Oezdemir1 day ago

Eyes Another Knockout At UFC Macau
Gabriella Fernandes1 day ago

A Big Underdog At UFC Macau
MMA1 day ago

Cong Wang Puts Undefeated Record On The Line At UFC Macau
Deiveson Figueiredo1 day ago

Looks To Extend Win Streak At UFC Macau
Petr Yan1 day ago

A Favorite At UFC Macau
Shohei Ohtani1 day ago

Named National League MVP In 2024
Aaron Judge1 day ago

Wins American League MVP Award
Alex Ovechkin1 day ago

To Miss 4-6 Weeks With Fractured Fibula
Zach Hyman1 day ago

Expected To Miss 4-7 Days
Kent Johnson1 day ago

Back For Blue Jackets Thursday
Yaroslav Askarov1 day ago

Makes Sharks Debut Thursday
Mikael Granlund1 day ago

Good To Go Thursday
Alexandar Georgiev1 day ago

Returns To Action Versus Capitals
Cody Bellinger1 day ago

Cubs Looking To Trade Cody Bellinger?
1 day ago

Blake Snell Has Met With Red Sox, Dodgers
Chris Sale2 days ago

Wins National League Cy Young Award
Tarik Skubal2 days ago

Wins 2024 American League Cy Young Award
Austin Eckroat2 days ago

Heads To The RSM Classic After Win
Harris English2 days ago

Finding Form Heading To The RSM Classic
Ben Griffin2 days ago

Continues Playing Well Heading To The RSM Classic
Denny McCarthy2 days ago

Returns to The RSM Classic
Ludvig Aberg2 days ago

Looks To Defend RSM Classic Title
Si Woo Kim2 days ago

An Intriguing Option At RSM Classic
Maverick McNealy2 days ago

In Solid Form Ahead Of RSM Classic
Eric Cole2 days ago

Chasing First Tour Victory At RSM Classic
3 days ago

Guardians' Stephen Vogt Named AL Manager Of The Year
Milwaukee Brewers3 days ago

Pat Murphy Named NL Manager Of The Year
3 days ago

Nick Pivetta Declines Boston's Qualifying Offer
Jose Siri3 days ago

Mets Acquire Jose Siri From The Rays
3 days ago

Phillies To Meet With Juan Soto
Charles Oliveira4 days ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Michael Chandler4 days ago

Gets Dominated At UFC 309
Karine Silva4 days ago

Suffers Her First UFC Loss
Viviane Araujo4 days ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Mauricio Ruffy4 days ago

Extends His Win Streak To Six
James Llontop5 days ago

Loses Clear-Cut Decision In Thrilling Fight At UFC 309
Paul Craig5 days ago

Loses Decision At UFC 309
Bo Nickal5 days ago

Remains Undefeated With Lackluster Performance At UFC 309
Stipe Miocic5 days ago

Retires After UFC 309 Loss

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Ashton Jeanty - College Football Rankings, NCAA CFB DFS Lineup Picks

Fantasy Football Dynasty Watch: Top College Fantasy Football Players Week 12 (2024)

Welcome back to another season of Fantasy Football Dynasty Watch, where I highlight the best and brightest performances from the college football week. The Big 12(16) took center stage this week and Tennessee fell to the ranks of most SEC contenders with two losses. Here are the players who showed out that you may have […]


Video: Week 12 Booms, Sleepers, and Streamers - 2024 Fantasy Football Start 'Em Analysis

And here...we...go... The YouTube team is dropping fresh fire content for the weekend ahead with our top Week 12 booms, sleepers, and streamers! NFL Network and RotoBaller contributor LaQuan Jones gives in-depth fantasy football advice, breaking down some of his high-upside, sleeper, and value plays as we head into Week 12 of the new fantasy […]


RotoBaller NFL Betting Picks Stock

2024 NFL Week 12 Betting Picks (Premium Content)

All other Premium Tools and Content can be accessed on the premium dashboard. To see ALL of Jamie's bets (and others from RotoBaller experts) then head over to the RotoBaller Discord. You'll find every bet and prop in the #NFL-BETTING-PROPS channel there!   Background My name is Jamie Calandro (@jac3600 on X) and I have […]


DeVon Achane - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL DFS Picks, Injury News

Fantasy Football Start 'Em, Sit 'Em - Week 12 Matchups Analysis

Welcome back, RotoBallers, to another start'em and sit'em piece as we look ahead to Week 12! There will be a whopping six teams on bye this week (Atlanta Falcons, Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, New Orleans Saints, Jacksonville Jaguars, and New York Jets), so that means fantasy managers might need to look deeper on their benches. This Week 12 matchups […]


Josh Downs - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

WR/CB Matchups to Upgrade and Downgrade - Fantasy Football Week 12 (2024)

Welcome back to our WR/CB Matchups for Week 12 of the 2024 fantasy football season. For those unfamiliar, this weekly series looks at fantasy football matchups for wide receivers versus the cornerbacks who are projected to cover them. The data we access for offensive and defensive players continues to skyrocket. Though we mainly focus on offensive […]


Houston Texans Defense D/ST Streamers, Rankings, Waiver Wire - Derek Stingley Fantasy Football IDP

D/ST Strength of Schedule: Best Fantasy Football Defense Streamers and Matchups (Weeks 12-17)

Ahh, the good old Defense/Special Teams (DST) position in fantasy football. It is a controversial inclusion in fantasy lineups for some fantasy players, but strategizing around DSTs is one of my favorite aspects of the in-season fantasy football experience. In the article below, I will present the strength of schedule (SOS) for the fantasy Defense/Special […]


NFL DFS: FanDuel Daily Fantasy Football Picks for Week 12 - Top Lineup Plays Include Jayden Daniels, Jahmyr Gibbs, Jared Goff, Puka Nacua

It’s already Week 12, although the end of the 2024-25 campaign can’t come soon enough for teams like the Jaguars, Raiders, Giants, and Panthers, to name a few. On the other hand, clubs like the Bills, Chiefs, and Lions are only a few weeks away from officially punching their tickets to the postseason.   In […]


Braelon Allen - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Best Fantasy Football Playoff Schedules for Waiver Wire Streamers, Stashes (Weeks 15-17)

Planning too far in advance to align your fantasy football players for an optimal playoff performance comes with many pitfalls. However, positioning yourself for good fortune in Weeks 15 through 17 should be a key piece of your strategy if you're in line to make the bracket. Fantasy players still have time to trade for […]


Bo Nix - Fantasy Football Rankings, QB, NFL Rookies, Draft Sleepers

The King's Week 12 Lineup Rankings and Analysis (Premium Content)

RotoBaller senior writer Scott "The King" Engel shares his Week 12 fantasy football lineup rankings for PPR, half PPR, and standard scoring league participants. He also provides an analysis of the rankings at every skill position. Regular starting options are included to highlight that some of your must-start players have a good chance of supplying […]


Courtland Sutton - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Week 12 DraftKings NFL DFS Picks - Main Slate (2024): Anthony Richardson, Brian Robinson Jr., Courtland Sutton, and more

How's it going, RotoBallers? Welcome back to our DraftKings Main Slate article. Known around the fantasy football world as "Bye-Mageddon," Week 12 certainly offers up some unique challenges from a DFS perspective. Don't worry, we'll work through those difficulties to find the best plays we can on this slate. These DraftKings lineup recommendations are based […]


Brian Robinson Jr. - Fantasy Football Rankings Running Backs, Waiver Wire Sleepers, NFL DFS Picks

Bold Predictions for Fantasy Football Week 12: Tua Tagovailoa, Rhamondre Stevenson, Brian Robinson Jr., Ladd McConkey, Will Dissly

Week 12 is here, and I’m back with another edition of fantasy football bold predictions. This week’s list of bold predictions will include Tua Tagovailoa, Rhamondre Stevenson, Brian Robinson Jr., Ladd McConkey, and Will Dissly. Every week, I will provide some fun and bold fantasy football predictions. While these bold predictions aren’t the most likely […]


Ladd McConkey - Fantasy Football Rankings, Rookies, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Booms and Busts - Fantasy Football Starts and Sits for Week 12 Lineups Include Tua Tagovailoa, J.K. Dobbins, Ladd McConkey

Week 11 was pretty kind to us in this space. We correctly labeled Justin Herbert as a boom pick. He threw for 297 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 65 yards on the ground. It culminated with a QB8 finish. We also nailed Kirk Cousins and Tony Pollard as busts. Cousins and the Falcons […]


Chuba Hubbard - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Week 12 Fantasy Football Busts? Players Who May Disappoint Include D'Andre Swift, JK Dobbins, Tank Dell, Chuba Hubbard, Mark Andrews, Jakobi Meyers

Welcome back, RotoBallers, to our Week 12 fantasy football busts, or players who may disappoint for fantasy lineups this week. It's a strange week in the NFL with six teams taking their bye week. That could mean lineups are gridlocked and fantasy managers don't have the luxury of analyzing matchups to decide their starters. Potential […]